Jackie Dorothy, 12/06/25
Joey Puettman of Sheridan turned his passion for fly-fishing into a career building premium fly fishing rods. Over the past 20 years, Puettman has also taught more than 3,000 people how to fly fish and build their own rods.It all began when Joey Puettman was 9 years old and broke his dad’s fly-fishing rod.
Desperate, Puettman tried to fix it and, when that failed, he blamed his little brother.
Puettman would eventually confess, and his parents responded by buying him a Cabela’s fly rod building kit.
It was a simple kit and Puettman had to use a heavy dictionary as a tensioner for his thread as he wrapped that first rod on his mom's kitchen table.
“This was in the day before YouTube and I just taught myself how to weave with what I had,” Puettman said. “I started learning how to build fly rods and it turned it into a lifelong passion."
He has turned that passion into a business and owns two companies, Joey’s Fly Rods and the Sheridan Fly Rod Co., where he's creating premium fly rods sought after by serious fly fishers. He has invented his own rod cradle and turner that he is getting ready to put on the market.
Over the past 20 years, Puettman has also taught more than 3,000 people how to fly fish and build their own rods. He works with state agencies, schools, mental health center, veterans, and senior centers.
“There's nothing more rewarding than handcrafting a fly rod and then trying to go and catch a crazy wild trout with it,” Puettman said. “It's absolutely rewarding and fun.” ...
Jackie Dorothy can be reached at jackie@cowboystatedaily.com.
